Manny's 50th Birthday Party

[CobraDan]

Well, Jim Milliken (West Coast) and I (Elegant Motors) were waiting to drive over on Sunday February 27th to the other coast for a birthday party for Manny Lopez (BackDraftRacing). Jim was going to pick me up in his Cobra but on Sunday morning it was raining cats and dogs and this was the dry season. After I bought breakfast we headed out about 8:30 am for a 2 ½ hour trip to Tuskeegee Pavilion at Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach. We arrived about 11am and of course there were no Cobras in attendance as they had a lot of rain in the morning also on the east coast. When we arrived there were a lot of people under the pavilion even though the rain had actually stopped as we drove into the West Palm area. We saw a lot of Cobra people in attendance and most we had not been seen since the Reptile Roundup back in November of last year. Ed & Renee Kamptner (DSCC Club President), Terry & Carol Lee, Reg & Jaquie Dodd & daughter (Reg from BackDraftRacing) & Frank his business partner. Of course Joanne Lopez, Manny’s wife but where was the birthday boy? I guess Manny had driven home to get a permit for the band that was coming to entertain us at the party. When Manny did return he came back in his Cobra as now the rain had stopped. The weather looked as if it was going to cooperate with having a Cobra party, although the rain stopped the 40 mile an hour winds continued all day and I think they are still picking up plastic cups and paper napkins out of the many lakes at the park. After a few of the local Cobra owners went back home there turned out to be five Cobras in attendance. All were the standard blue/white strip but one who had the same yellow/white strip as my Cobra back home. I met up with Kent Gladder the owner of a recently completed Street Beast cobra painted the exact color as mine. He had an album of pictures taken during construction of his car with him and as he thumbed through the pictures I saw a picture of my Cobra on a trailer. He said a buddy of his had taken the picture about three years back to let him see a yellow cobra with a white strip. It turned out to be a really big birthday party with two bands, Manny’s personal band and the Dewey Street Band. Lots of food and drink and what turned out to be a nice day after the deluge we had earlier in the day. I asked Manny if his band that had only played twice before could come to a party I was planning for later in the year. I wanted to know how much he would pay me for another gig. See I wanted to get Manny’s band before we had to pay them. I told him he threw a great party and I couldn’t wait until next year. Manny said he only throws a party of this type every ten years so I can’t wait until he turns sixty. The pictures that follow were taken and sent to me by Joanne and I want to thank her as I left my camera at home.
Dan

Terry & Carol Lee


Manny with his birthday cake only one candle that says 50 so we didn't have to get the fire Department.



Manny and his band


Kent Gladder and his friend Kenny who help him build his Street Beast My Yellow and White


Dewey Street Band


Dan Wulff- Armando Lopez- Jim Milliken- and Bobby


Boca Bob- Jay & Janet Barzano



A gag birthday gift for Manny's Cobra a Chevy steering wheel cover



00 Manny Lopez's BDR, 52 Jay Barzano's BDR, 42 Steve Calhoun's ERA

[aumoore]

Guys I wish I lived a little closer to Miami (pensacola is almost 700 miles away) so I could have shared a few beers with the Lopez "brothers".


Someone please tell Cobra Doc he needs a tan on those legs. He looks like me at Pensacola Beach. Oh my eyes.

[CobraDan]

Ruble,
They had 2 kegs of beer so if you had made the trip there would have been plenty of beer.
I talked with Ed Kamptner and he said that he sold his FFR and was waiting on a new BackDraftRacing Cobra to replace it. It was the lighter color blue with white strips and rondels but he's still waiting on the engine and transmission. I also noticed that Tom Jone's BDR that he bought from Reg is the new car to beat at the races.
Dan

[B. SMITH]

MANNY AND JOANNE DO THROW A GREAT PARTY.

LOTS OF NICE FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THE GREAT MUSIC, FOOD AND DRINK TOPPED IT OFF.

EVENT PLANNING MAY BE SOMEWHERE IN MANNY'S FUTURE. HE WOULD GET MY VOTE.

BARRY SMITH

[#16]

Many Happy Birhday !!

Sorry i couldn't go but Judy got really sick, i was going to call you but lost your phone #. Either way it looks like you guys had a blast, hope to see you in Abacoa this weekend
Cheers!
Pedro Torres

FFR Coupe # 16

[tony martin]

HEY MANNY,
I GUESS I MISSED A GREAT PARTY.

ANYWAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

WE WILL JUST HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER ONE WHEN I SEE U!!!



REGARDS TO JO ANNE

CATCH U SOON BUDDY.

[Engineer Ed]

Manny
Great party...
Thanks for invinting us.
Sorry we had to leave early; long ride back home to Tampa.

Ed and Renee

[dual rollbars]

I want to thank my dear friends and family for making my 5Oth birthday party so enjoyable. Thank you all for the good laughs, great memories and awesome gifts (even the gag ones). For those of you that could not make it because of distance and/or weather, I understand. You'll just have to wait another 10 years til I do it again. :-)

Manny

[tony martin]

WHAT!!!

ARE U GOING TO BE 50 AGAIN IN 10 YEARS TIME????

PLEASE SEND ME YOUR SECRET.

REGARDS

[CobraDan]

dual rollbars,
Manny I think you will now have to change your name from dual rollbars to CHEVY WHEELMAN.
Dan

[wcmcgrath]

My wife and I were in South Fl. and joined in a couple years of Reptile Roundups as drooling observers. We met Manny around that time. We made our way out of S. FL. with a baby and wonder what happened to Manny and his wife and his blue indigo backdraft. Anyone who knows and would kindly send me an update email to wcmcgrath@aol.com, I would be greatly appreciative.

Bill McGrath

[CobraDan]

Bill McGrath
send me an email dfwulff@comcast.net